The Alberta government’s plan to withhold funding for libraries is not yet alarming local officials.

The CBC reported on an emailed statement from a spokesperson Aug. 7 that confirmed half of provincial funding would be received by the end of the month. They did not state when the rest would come, though it is likely it will be distributed when the next budget is finalized by legislators towards October’s end.

The previous New Democratic Party government also withheld funds. They provided 75 per cent of what the province gives to libraries in June 2015 before distributing the remainder of the money in early September.

Stony Plain Public Library Assistant Director Mark McHale says the initial reporting was a bit alarmist. Funding from Alberta makes up only 14 per cent of the facility budget. Delays are common and he does not see the current United Conservative Party government as hostile to the library he helps oversee.

“The expectation is support for libraries is strong and they have a lot of value for rural communities,” he said. “I think the current government is aware of this. A hold on funding is just that ultimately, a hold.”

Mark McHale, Stony Plain Public Library assistant director, says the withheld funding is not as alarming as members of the public may assume.Evan J. Pretzer

McHale added that customers would notice nothing different in the short term. The library has $30,000 in a restricted reserve that the board can approve to be accessed in a shortfall. In the event this could not be maintained, he said they would have to adjust services based on the common interests of the community.

“We would reallocate based on the priorities we have attempted to budget for,” McHale said.

Funding holds can be more complicated the smaller a library is. Airdrie Public Library Director Pam Medland said in recent reporting that many smaller institutions do not have contingency funds in place like Stony Plain does. Holds can cause concern as a result and this is on the mind of the Yellowhead Regional Library.

“About 47 per cent of our funding comes from the government grants,” Hendrik Smit, Yellowhead Regional Library board chairman said. “In a couple of weeks or about a month from now this would be very hard. We are intimately looking at what the government does come November and have some funds in our reserves.”

The opposition NDP has warned the government to not mess with libraries while officials have defended the holds as standard practice. Premier Jason Kenney said earlier this month his government provided libraries funding for six months of the year alongside other services. Adding the remaining time for the fiscal year would be dealt with in the next provincial budget when it gets finalized towards the end of 2019’s season.

In the meantime, McHale encourages people to come and visit.

“If you have not been to your local library in a while stop by and say hello,” he said.